Amazon Issues Refunds for Potentially Dangerous Solar Eclipse Glasses

Amazon has taken mass action against unsafe eclipse glasses, sending out refunds and warning emails.

Next weekend’s solar eclipse is going to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and unfortunately, that’s exactly what makes it ripe for heinous get-rich-quick schemers. Dozens of companies have been selling glasses that are said to make it safe to get an eyeful of the solar eclipse, and over the weekend, Amazon revealed that a good number of them probably wouldn’t live up to that promise.

The good news is that if you bought potentially dangerous eclipse glasses from Amazon at any point, you know about it — Amazon sent out warning emails and started issuing refunds over the weekend. The emails notified customers that their glasses may not pass the requirements set out by NASA to ensure the lenses make it safe to view the sun directly, as a certain amount of visible and ultraviolet light must be blocked out.

According to Amazon, any glasses made by companies that could not prove that they were recommended by NASA or the American Astronomical Society have been caught up in the dragnet, with refunds issued and sales pages taken down. A number of those companies have since claimed that they do meet the standard of both, and are in talks with Amazon to reverse the decision made against their glasses.

For the time being, if you want to make sure you stay safe this weekend, you can check out the American Astronomical Society’s list of trusted manufacturers. The glasses are getting pretty pricey as we head into these last few days before the eclipse, though, and it’ll probably cost you even more to make sure that they actually arrive before this weekend. If you’ve already purchased glasses through Amazon and haven’t received an email about your purchase, your glasses should be safe to use.